About This House
Built around 1810 on the cusp of the town’s economic boom, this wood-frame house, known as Reynolds Tavern, is believed to have been rented to locally renowned cabinetmaker Thomas Reynolds. The house stood among other in-town dwellings occupied by skilled tradesmen who flocked to the bustling county seat, where work was plentiful. In the early to mid-1900s, it is thought to have doubled as one of several local taverns. Surviving for over two centuries, it sat vacant in recent decades, suffering neglect. In 2019, under threat of demolition, a preservation society acquired it. Now Preservation North Carolina is looking for a restoration-minded buyer.
Why Save It?
The house still has early-19th-century features, including three fireplaces, wide-plank floors, and a winder staircase. The outside, wrapped in heart-pine boards, retains double-hung windows, some with wavy glass; dormers with exposed rafter tails; and boxed eaves. Walkable to restaurants and shops, the house sits on more than 1/3 acre in the heart of a historic district, which is surrounded by stately antebellum homes. Warrenton is a vibrant small town just over an hour’s drive from Raleigh.
What it Needs
When tackling old foundations, proper exterior grading is just as important as the structural rebuild itself. Water infiltration that freezes in winter can accelerate a foundation’s deterioration. Regrading the ground to slope away from the building is a critical step that prevents the cycle of damage from repeating once the new foundation is in place.
A total rehab is called for; the original foundation needs replacing, and the first-floor joists need repair. All new systems are required. The six rooms can be put to various uses, among them a new kitchen and baths. Given its location, the house offers commercial as well as residential possibilities; restoration covenants apply. With a megadose of TLC, this staunch survivor can take its place among its thoughtfully restored neighbors, and have a chance to thrive again.
House Stats
- Price: $16,500
- Location: Warrenton, NC
- Contact: Cathleen Turner, Preservation North Carolina; cturner@presnc.org
Originally built in the Greek Revival style in the 1840s and attributed to noted local carpenter Jacob Holt, this spacious house was remodeled as a Colonial Revival in the 1920s, when it gained its fine brick cladding and a front porch, now long gone. At that time it became home to Eugene Allen, the prominent owner of a building supply company, and his wife, Florence. It eventually passed to the Allens’ civic-minded daughter, Louise, who lived there until 2006, when the house was sold.
The four-bedroom, three-bath house retains original 19th-century features inside, including Greek Revival–style fireplace mantels and dog-ear casings. The graceful double staircase and a sunroom remain, as do the exterior brickwork and decorative details from the 1920s Colonial Revival renovation.
View the listing and more photos here.
